detecting necrotic cysts and necrotic tumors

[Ettina]

OK, in one campaign I'm working on, I need some clerics of Pelor to realize their leaders have been taken over by the necrotic tumor spell - a high level spell in the necrotic cyst line that gives the caster permanent mind control over the subject, without any Will saves to fight the control or any restriction on suicidal orders. In addition, they need to realize that everyone else in the church, themselves included, are infested with necrotic cysts. (Which they will remove.)

I know how they'll first realize something's wrong, because the leaders in the church start acting out of character. However, how will they figure out that it's because of the necrotic tumor spell, instead of, say, dominate person or geas or any of the other ways you can bend someone's will to your own? And how will they realize they have well-hidden cysts in their own bodies?

A couple thoughts I had:

a) You need two ranks in Knowledge (religion) to get a mother cyst, so I'm guessing that Knowledge (religion) can tell you that mother cysts are a thing and how one might go about getting one. Which implies you could use Knowledge (religion) to know what necrotic cysts are and what spells are in the necrotic spell line.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Detect Evil or Detect Undead should work, or at least point them in the right direction. Healer's Vision (CS) should definitely be able to identify the cyst. Divination can also help if they ask the right questions.

[Segev]

Detect Evil will detect the [evil] aura of the active Necrotic Cyst (and Tumor) spells on the victims.

Detect Undead will detect the cysts themselves, as they are undead...things.

Detect Magic will detect the active spells, as well as identify them as Necromancy school.

Spellcraft will allow somebody witnessing a victim operate under the effect of Necrotic Tumor identify the spell in place.

[Kraken]

Have a follower of the church killed, and have the wound make their necrotic cyst visible. Steer them into studying the cyst.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Detect Magic will detect the active spells, as well as identify them as Necromancy school.

Spellcraft will allow somebody witnessing a victim operate under the effect of Necrotic Tumor identify the spell in place.

Necrotic Cysts are instantaneous, so those two won't work. They can detect the Necrotic Tumor spells on the leaders though if they're viewed with Detect Magic active (or some other way to see magic), which should prompt the clerics to look closely for Necrotic Cysts and other asssorted shenanigans.
Necrotic Tumor can be dispelled normally, but Necrotic Cysts require a DC 20 heal check to remove.

[Segev]

Necrotic Cysts are instantaneous, so those two won't work. They can detect the Necrotic Tumor spells on the leaders though if they're viewed with Detect Magic active (or some other way to see magic), which should prompt the clerics to look closely for Necrotic Cysts and other asssorted shenanigans.
Necrotic Tumor can be dispelled normally, but Necrotic Cysts require a DC 20 heal check to remove.

Makes sense; I was AFB so running off of memory.

Still, Detect Undead should be able to spot them.

You could also have a member of the clergy, in his study of them and realization he has one, take the Mother Cyst feat by accidentally metastisizing his implated Cyst. This would give him access to Necrotic Awareness, the 1st level spell in the chain, which explicitly detects Necrotic Cysts.

Spellcraft should also still work, if you use the DC for determining what spell was cast by observing its effects after the fact.